I wonder, if spiders could evolve some kind of membrane stretched between the inner parts of their long legs they could absorb much more oxygen than their bok ‘lungs’ can. And grow much bigger.
christophsays
@StevoR, # 5: Thanks for sharing! I never knew those things could move so fast.
Silentbobsays
@ birgerjohansson
Stop giving them ideas!!! 8-0
Silentbobsays
Black widow weavin’ evil notions
Dark secrets bein’ spun in your web
Good men goin’ down in your ocean
They can’t swim ’cause they’re tied to your bed
rorschachsays
Isn’t this just a redback? Menace of every outback toilet and park bench in Australia? I did not realise they had them in other countries too. They are much smaller than one assumes from pictures, and the bite can make people really unwell (but so can the antivenom).
caesarcsays
PZ can you suggest some reading or links that explain the evolution and ecology of the brown widow and black widow? I never knew there was a brown widow and I was helping my neighbor clean out their greenhouse and found one. I had to look it up and the only report I found on it was that the brown’s were pushing the blacks out in certain areas but the report said that was a good thing because they were a little more docile and the venom a bit less toxic.
I wondered if you had any insight on this population change. One report was that the browns were more prevalent in Arizona so are these guys hitching a ride to the southeast like bedbugs or something? How are they getting here. However, from an ecology standpoint what are the browns better at that drive the blacks out, ie hunting, egg size, reproduction success etc? What would drive such a huge expansion?
Now, I find them all the time and rarely come across a black anymore.
Her legs are kind of pointy, but her body is kind of …. rotund. I hope that doesn’t get me a shot of venom.
And those legs go all the way up!
Lots of junk in the trunk!
Black teardrop shaped body with a bright atomic bomb blast in red inscribed on it..
Might be some symbolism there.
Or just an arachnid being its biological self.
Looks very much like Latrodectus hasseltii to me.
See : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latrodectus
@ christoph : “And those legs go all the way up!”
But not as far as the Brittle Star..
As seen and discussed here (2 mins long.)
It’s L. mactans.
I wonder, if spiders could evolve some kind of membrane stretched between the inner parts of their long legs they could absorb much more oxygen than their bok ‘lungs’ can. And grow much bigger.
@StevoR, # 5: Thanks for sharing! I never knew those things could move so fast.
@ birgerjohansson
Stop giving them ideas!!! 8-0
Isn’t this just a redback? Menace of every outback toilet and park bench in Australia? I did not realise they had them in other countries too. They are much smaller than one assumes from pictures, and the bite can make people really unwell (but so can the antivenom).
PZ can you suggest some reading or links that explain the evolution and ecology of the brown widow and black widow? I never knew there was a brown widow and I was helping my neighbor clean out their greenhouse and found one. I had to look it up and the only report I found on it was that the brown’s were pushing the blacks out in certain areas but the report said that was a good thing because they were a little more docile and the venom a bit less toxic.
I wondered if you had any insight on this population change. One report was that the browns were more prevalent in Arizona so are these guys hitching a ride to the southeast like bedbugs or something? How are they getting here. However, from an ecology standpoint what are the browns better at that drive the blacks out, ie hunting, egg size, reproduction success etc? What would drive such a huge expansion?
Now, I find them all the time and rarely come across a black anymore.